


Heaven and Hell were words to me

by Estelle



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Post-Inception, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-07 07:15:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19204501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estelle/pseuds/Estelle
Summary: “This soulmate stuff is utter horseshit, darling, don’t you think?”, Eames remarks and takes a sip from his drink.Surprised, Arthur raises his eyebrows at the statement. “Really? I would have taken you for more of a romantic.”Eames nods. “I am. That’s why I think it’s completely idiotic.”





	Heaven and Hell were words to me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [soup](https://archiveofourown.org/users/soup/gifts).



> For the prompt "Soulmates + Misunderstanding". Thanks, Sophie! <3

“This soulmate stuff is utter horseshit, darling, don’t you think?”, Eames remarks and takes a sip from his drink.  
They have just finished a job, and have a bit of time before their respective flights, so Arthur has agreed to join Eames for a drink.  
Surprised, he raises his eyebrows at the statement. “Really? I would have taken you for more of a romantic.”  
Eames nods. “I am. That’s why I think it’s completely idiotic.”  
“Hm.” Arthur takes a sip of his own drink. “Care to elaborate?”  
“Well, firstly, there’s Dom and Mal. They were supposedly _meant to be_ , and look how that turned out.”  
Arthur nods slowly. “You have a point there.”  
“And also”, Eames continues, “I don’t like my choice taken away from me. When I’m with someone, I want to be with them because _I_ choose to, because _I_ love them and want them, not because the universe tells me to or whatever.”  
“I have to admit, I never saw it from that perspective”, Arthur concedes. “I always thought it was kind of comforting, to know that there’s someone out there for you, someone who fits you perfectly, and loves you no matter what.”  
Eames grins. “Now who’s the romantic?”  
“Shut up!” Arthur lightly kicks Eames, masking the sinking feeling in his stomach with laughter. He has always secretly hoped that there would be a chance of Eames being his soulmate, and learning that even if by some miracle he was, he wouldn’t want him, is slightly more devastating than he could have ever imagined.

It is a few month later, at a job going horribly wrong, that things get _worse_.  
Eames has gotten shot, and fortunately, Arthur has been able to get him away from the scene, leaving the rest of their (apparently incompetent, and fuck, why haven’t they done better research?) team to deal with the fallout, and is now frantically trying to stop the bleeding, sitting on the floor of one of his safe houses’ bathroom, Eames propped up against the bathtub and barely conscious.  
He removes his shirt, now ruined with blood anyway, and stops short. There’s an intricate pattern on Eames’ ribs, so artfully interwoven with his tattoos that it’s barely noticeable as a soulmark, but Arthur would recognise it anywhere, because he has the _exact same one_.  
Shaking off the onslaught of feelings that comes with this discovery, he focuses on cleaning the wound, because even if Eames will never want him, he’ll be damned if he looses him.

Over the next months, he keeps debating telling him, but ultimately always decides against it, concluding that it would only make working together unnecessarily awkward. He has lived with his feelings and longing for years, having confirmed that there will never be anyone else for him doesn’t change his resolve to keep them a secret forever.

Then one day, Arthur is in the tiny bathroom of the warehouse they’re working from, wringing out his shirt over the sink because their very jittery architect has spilled coffee over him, when Eames barges in.  
“Darling, I...” He stops short when he sees Arthur’s naked torso, and Arthur is about to make a slightly flirty remark along the lines of “Did I make you speechless?”, when he realises just _what_ Eames is seeing.  
“Oh”, Eames manages, and Arthur sighs, drops the ruined shirt in the sink, and turns around.  
“Yeah”, he confirms, and Eames looks even more shocked at that, if that is even possible.  
“Wait, you knew?”, he manages.  
Arthur shrugs. “Remember when you got shot?”  
“But that was months ago! You never said anything! You...” Eames’ thoughts seem to change direction mid-sentence, and he sighs, running a hand through his hair. “No, of course you never said anything. _Of course_ not. Why would you want me as your soulmate? No, it’s fine, I never should have… Anyway, let’s just forget this ever happened, and get back to work, right?” Eames forces a smile that looks completely wrong, and turns to leave, and Arthur can’t let that happen.  
“Wait, _what_? _I_ don’t want _you_? _You’re_ the one who said that soulmates are stupid and that you don’t want one!” He’s trying very hard to keep his voice down, because the whole team really doesn’t need to hear that, but it’s very difficult with how emotional he is over this.  
Eames turns back around, clearly as agitated as he is. “ _Of course_ I said that. Because I’m in love with you!”  
“ _What_?” Now Arthur is definitely shouting, and at that, all the fight seems to leave Eames, his shoulders dropping.  
“I’m sorry. I just love you so much, and the thought that there’s someone else who’d get to have you was just unbearable.”  
“Oh my god, Eames, you absolute _idiot_.” Arthur steps forward and takes his hand. “I’ve been in love with you for ages.”  
Eames’ head shoots up at that. “ _What_?”  
Arthur shrugs. “I thought you didn’t want me.”  
“Oh darling, I’m sorry!” Eames sounds genuinely upset, and Arthur shushes him.  
“It’s okay.” He kisses Eames’ hand. “You’ve got forever to make it up to me.”  
Eames smiles. “Hopeless romantic.”  
Smiling back, Arthur leans his forehead against Eames’. “Only for you.”


End file.
